Lieberman: Iran Needs 18 Months to Acquire Nuclear Weapons

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated on Tuesday, February 7, that Iran only needs 12 to 18 months to obtain nuclear weapons, and Israel is considering all options to prevent such an occurrence. He told the Russian news agency Interfax, "Under any circumstances, we reserve all options to respond to this issue." Lieberman emphasized, "All options are on the table. We will assess what achievements have been made and what has not after the negotiations (between the six world powers and Iran)." Israel has been a staunch opponent of Iran's nuclear program and has repeatedly claimed that Tehran is seeking to build an atomic weapon. Officials in Israel are calling for increased international sanctions and even military options to halt Iran's nuclear activities. Meanwhile, the six world powers, led by the United States, argue that diplomacy should be given a chance to resolve ambiguities surrounding the program peacefully. The parties are currently pursuing the second round of their extended negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding Tehran's nuclear activities. Despite optimistic announcements for reaching an agreement by the end of June—the end of the seven-month deadline—the P5+1 group and Iran still report existing differences. In another part of his remarks, Lieberman stated, "Today, the Iranians are trying to reach the nuclear threshold so that they can acquire such a bomb." He noted that several modern countries, such as Canada, Australia, Germany, and Japan, are at this threshold. He added, "Whether Germany or Japan will build a nuclear bomb depends solely on a political decision. In other words, they need only six weeks from the moment of decision-making to acquire a nuclear bomb. These countries have the necessary infrastructure, materials, and expertise." He remarked, "But no one is worried about Germany or Japan. However, everyone is concerned about North Korea, as the whole issue regarding such a country relates to the regime's competence." Lieberman added, "If Iran, God forbid, acquires nuclear weapons, the situation will fundamentally change, as the regime (of Iran) cannot be deemed worthy." Lieberman stated that Iran's capability to build nuclear weapons would trigger an arms race in the Middle East, including in countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. He reiterated the Israeli government's position that "no agreement is better than a bad agreement" and called for following the Syrian model in addressing Iran's nuclear program. He explained, "Based on the Syrian model, the problem of that country's nuclear program, which was resolved through an agreement between Russia and the United States, was settled by removing all its chemical weapons and destroying the facilities and infrastructure for producing those weapons." He stated, "If the Iranian model is similar to the Syrian model, we will certainly welcome it." Lieberman expressed, "If we allow them (the Iranians) to have 6,000 to 9,000 active centrifuges, maintain their underground facilities, and continue the current production of medium and long-range ballistic missiles, then there will be no hope left in this agreement."